Galt officer's funeral draws hundreds

ROSEVILLE - Gov. Jerry Brown joined hundreds of law enforcement officers from around the state Monday in honoring a Galt police officer who was killed in the line of duty last week.

Staff and wire reports

ROSEVILLE - Gov. Jerry Brown joined hundreds of law enforcement officers from around the state Monday in honoring a Galt police officer who was killed in the line of duty last week.

Funeral services were held Monday for Kevin Tonn, a K-9 unit officer with the Galt Police Department. Tonn, 35, died last Tuesday after he was shot while trying to question a potential burglary suspect.

The alleged gunman, Humphrey Kenneth Gascon Jr., 30, turned out not to have been involved in the duplex burglary, but Sacramento County authorities said he turned his gun on himself after slaying Tonn and shooting at another officer. A motive hasn't been disclosed.

San Joaquin County's law enforcement community was well represented with more than 100 officers, deputies and other officials at Tonn's funeral.

Lodi police K-9 Officer Ryan La Rue was asked to be a pallbearer for Tonn. They were personal friends who had trained together and competed against each another many times with their police dogs.

The Lodi department, which works closely with the neighboring Galt Police Department, sent 20 officers, including an honor guard.

San Joaquin County Sheriff Steve Moore also attended with an honor guard and several K-9 units representing his agency. The Manteca, Ripon and Tracy police departments and Calaveras and Amador sheriff's offices also were represented.

Galt Police Chief William Bowen, who required a member of the department to remain with his fallen officer even after Tonn's body was taken to the coroner, addressed Tonn's family during the services at Adventure Christian Church.

"We are grateful to share part of Kevin's life. We would take away the pain if we could," Bowen said.

K-9 units from across California came to Roseville to be at the funeral. Yaro, the German shepherd who was Tonn's partner, was allowed into the church sanctuary.

Jarrett Tonn, a detective with the Galt department, told the mourners that his cousin "loved being a cop, and even that might be an understatement."

Before he was hired in Galt 31/2 years ago, Kevin Tonn was a military police officer and a firefighter in New York state.

The Foothills K9 Association, an organization that works with police dogs active and retired, said it is accepting donations for Yaro's future care.